


One More Chance

by TommyVelvet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Curse Breaker Draco Malfoy, Engagement Party, Getting Back Together, Happy Ending, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, M/M, Post-Break Up, Potions Master Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-07 08:49:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18617239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TommyVelvet/pseuds/TommyVelvet
Summary: Harry attends Seamus and Dean’s engagement party where he meets his ex-boyfriend Draco, who has come back after a year of not living in England. The breakup was mutual but when Draco left without saying a word... well, Harry doesn’t know how he is going to handle the sudden confrontation.





	One More Chance

“Harry we have to leave now,” Harry hears Hermione yell from the living room in h is flat.

Harry exits from the en suite connected to his bedroom and grabs his wand from on top of his chest of drawers before joining Ron and Hermione in the living room.

“Let’s go,” Harry says and follows his friends into the fire place before Hermione drops a handful of Floo Powder and flooing them to Dean and Seamus apartment. Dean has recently asked Seamus to marry him after dating since eighth year and they are now hosting an engagement party.

Harry stumbles into a living room scattered with people, followed by Ron and Hermione. Neville, Hannah Abbott and Luna are sat in one of the sofas and they wave when they see their friends arrive. Ginny gives them a smile from where she is stood by the television talking to Pansy Parkinson. There are other old friends from Hogwarts here such as Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Theodore Nott who all nods at them. 

During their Eighth year after the war, all the students in Harry’s year had to share a common room which in turn made the surviving students be forced to spend more time together. The dorm rooms housed four people, one from each house, to promote inter-house-unity. Harry had to share with Terry Boot, Justin Finch-Fletchley and of course, Draco Malfoy. 

McGonagall had told Harry she thought since Harry and Draco had had their ongoing feud and because Harry had spoken in Draco and Narcissa Malfoy’s favour at their trial the summer after the war; this would be a great opportunity for them to settle their differences. Thus made them share a dorm room.

Harry was only slightly surprised when Draco had apologised in person to everyone he had bullied or spoken badly to, including the teachers. Yes, even Hagrid. After that Draco kept a low profile the rest of the year and mostly studied or hung out with the Slytherins in their year.

Either way, all of the people in their year were somewhat friends or acquaintances now and a lot are currently here at Dean and Seamus party. 

“Harry!” Seamus says when he walks into the living room. “It’s good to see you,” he gives Harry a hug before turning to Ron and Hermione. “And yous too.” He gives them both a hug.

“You do know we saw you a week ago right?” Ron says.

“Yes but I’m engaged now and I’m happy you’re here.”

“And we are very happy to be here,” Hermione says and holds out a present bag. “Here. For you and Dean as congrats on your engagement from us three.”

Seamus takes it and gives her another hug. “Thank you. I’ll go put them with the rest of them and you can go say hello to Dean. He’s in the kitchen.” He turns and walks out of the living room before disappearing behind a corner.

“Okay, let’s go find Dean.” Hermione says and scurries off excitedly. Harry shares a fond look with Ron before they follow her.

They find her in the hallway walking towards the kitchen when she freezes in the doorway. She turns around to walk up to them with an apprehensive look on her face.

“So, there is something you should know,” she says, turning to Harry.

Harry feels a twinge of anxiety in the pit of his stomach and he swallows before speaking. “What’s wrong?”

“Um, there might be a possibility that Draco might be back and he might be standing in the kitchen, talking to Dean and Blaise.” She screws up her face in a worried expression as she looks at Harry.

Harry’s stomach drops.

He closes his eyes as he tries to take in the information.  _ Draco is back. He has returned to England. When did he come back? Why has he not told Harry? Does Draco not want to see him? Did they not leave off as friends? But then why did Harry have to find out like this?   _ Harry stops his train of thoughts. No need to dwell on that in his head when he can just ask Draco in person. If Draco would want to even speak with him that is. 

He opens his eyes to be met with the concerned looks of first Hermione and then Ron. “Fuck,” is the first thing Harry can think of to say.

“Do you want to maybe go talk to Ginny and you can say hello to Dean later?” Hermione says.

Harry thought about it. On one hand it would be great to just meet Draco straight away to just rip the plaster off but on the other… Harry just found out he is back and he needs a moment or a few to collect his thoughts so that is what he decides to do.

“Yeah that sounds good,“ he says and Ron pats him on the shoulder before him and Hermione walks into the kitchen. Harry can hear Dean greet his friends as he turns and walks back to the living room. 

Harry sees Ginny still talking animatedly with Pansy and he needs to talk to her. The girls pause their conversation as Harry approaches them and Ginny’s smile turns into a concerned frown when he sees him. He guesses he does not look very happy because that is how he feels.

Harry and Ginny never got back together after the war but they became very close friends instead. They used to talk for hours and hours and she was the first person he told about liking boys as well as girls. She had given him a hug and said she loved him for him, no matter who is loves. She had also been there, holding his hand when he came out to Ron and Hermione who both gave him a hug and told him it was all right and they loved him.

Ginny has been Harry’s rock since the war and they talk about everything together, no secrets. If they have an issue they always tell each other first. Even before Ron and Hermione. So it is no surprise Ginny knows something is wrong when Harry walks up to her.

“Is everything all right?” Ginny says and cups his face with her hand when he reaches her. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her in for a hug. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ll go talk to Theo,” Harry hears Pansy say and he feels a relief he is now alone with Ginny, although in a room full of people but he doubts they would interrupt.

Harry buries his face in the crook of her neck and feels his eyes sting with tears. “He’s back,” he croaks. Harry knows she would know who he meant.

“Oh,” Ginny says, sounding surprised. “Is he here? I haven’t seen him?”

“Kitchen.”

“Okay, do you want to sit down? We could talk to Luna for a bit or do you want to talk about what’s going on in your head?”

“Sit.” Harry mumbles.

“Thought so,” Ginny says and pulls his head from her shoulder. She wipes a stray tear and kisses his forehead. “Come on.”

Thank Merlin for Ginny and the fact she can read him like an open book. She knows just what he needs by just a few words. She takes his arm and pulls him to the sofa where Luna is now sitting alone. Neville and Hannah must have left when Harry was in the hallway. Harry sits down next to Luna and Ginny sits next to him.

“Hiya, Harry,” Luna says.

“Hello, Luna. How are you?”

“Oh I’m good.” She smiles at him. She pauses for a moment to stare at him before saying, “He is also nervous, you know.”

“Who?” Harry says although he has an idea he knows who she is talking about.

“Draco of course. He is surrounded by wrackspurts. Like you.”

“Why is he nervous?”

“I believe he has to get something off his chest.” Luna says.

“Really? What is it?” Harry says, now very curious.

“Something painful.”

“Oh,” Harry says, not expecting it. He does not push any further. 

_ Is Draco okay? What would be something painful he needed to tell someone? Is is painful for him or the other person? Also who would he need to talk to? _

Harry dismisses his thoughts. It’s not his business what Draco does anymore. Even though it hurts to admit.

Harry chats to Ginny and Luna for a while before Dean and Seamus enter the living room, followed by Ron, Hermione, Neville, Blaise and- Harry looks away as soon as his eyes fall upon his ex-boyfriend. It still hurts, even after 11 months and he can’t look at him yet. Harry leans back into the sofa so Ginny shields him from Draco’s view. She turns to look at him briefly before taking his hand and squeezing it gently.

The group coming into the living room are holding two glasses each of what is probably champagne and are handing them out to the rest in the room. Neville joins Hannah, Justin and Ernie on the other sofa. He hands Hannah one of his. Seamus and Dean gives Justin and Ernie one each. Harry assumes Draco and Blaise give their extra glasses to Pansy and Nott who are stood on the opposite side of the room, furthest away from Harry, Ginny and Luna. Hermione and Ron join them on the sofa, handing them their glasses. Hermione had carried three glasses in her hand so everyone could have one. 

Dean and Seamus go to stand in the doorway so everyone can see them. “Thank you all for coming and thank you for the presents,” Dean says. “I know for a fact I will not be allowed to open any of your lovely gifts.”

Everyone laughs and Seamus rolls his eyes while smiling. “I like opening presents, okay? Nothing wrong with that.” 

“I know,” Dean smiles and kisses him on the cheek. “Anyway, we would like to share a toast to us of course and we hope you all find someone to love as much as I love Seamus.”

“To love,” Neville says and holds up his glass.

Everyone raises their glasses and echoes, “To love,” before taking a drink.

The party continues for a while and everyone is mingling. Harry is avoiding Draco as much as he can. He’s even restraining himself from looking at him, although he can feel Draco’s gaze on him from time to time. If Draco wanted to talk to Harry then he would have to take the first step, not Harry. 

“He is still staring at you,” Ron says in the middle of his, Harry’s and Neville’s conversation about some of Ron and Harry’s strangest arrests. “What does he want?”

“I have no idea and I don’t care,” Harry says without turning around to look and rolls his eyes. Even though he knows he cares, he can’t bring himself to admit it to anyone else.

“Maybe you should go talk to him,” Neville says.

“No. Absolutely not.” Harry says, shaking his head. “If he wants to talk then he can take the first step. It broke my heart heart when we called it quits and I bet he feels the same and I get that but I didn’t leave for a year without a peep. He never said goodbye, he never wrote to me and now all of a sudden he is back and I have to find out when I meet him again? He clearly didn’t want anything to do with me so why would I go up and talk to him first?”

Harry had no idea he felt so angry about the whole ordeal until his emotions suddenly tumbles out. 

“You’re right. Now,” Ron says and puts his arm around Harry’s shoulders and smirks. “What do you say we ask Seamus to break out the firewhiskey to give this party a bit more flare?”

“Yeah that sounds good. Also Seamus never turns down an opportunity for firewhiskey,” Harry says with a laugh.

“No he doesn’t,” Ron says. He lets go of Harry’s shoulders and turns to where Seamus and Theo are talking on the opposite side of the room. “Oi! Seamus! I feel like this party needs firewhiskey, yeah?”

Seamus turns in surprise when Ron shouts at him but it turns to a grin when he hears the word ’firewhiskey’.

“Ron, my friend,” Seamus says as everyone stopped talking when Ron shouted. “That is the smartest thing I have ever heard you say. I’ll be right back.”

When Seamus arrives he gives tumblers of whiskey to those who want it, which is almost everyone. When Harry goes to take his glass he meets Draco’s eyes for split second before he looks away. Harry silently curses himself as he turns to walk back to Ron and Neville with his firewhiskey.

“I don’t get why he has to stare at me all the time?” Harry says. “It’s making me itch all over.”

“Maybe you should get some air, take a break for a moment,” Neville says. “I’ll go talk to Draco about his travels to distract him and you can go without him noticing, yeah?”

“That sounds good. Thank you.”

“It’s no problem,” Neville says before walking towards Draco.

After making sure Neville had Draco engrossed in their conversation, Harry slipped out of the living room. 

-

Harry is sitting on the edge of the terrasse in Dean and Seamus’ garden. He has his feet planted on the grass and resting his elbows on his knees as he leans his head towards the sun with his eyes closed. He takes a sip of the firewhiskey he brought with him outside when he hears the backdoor open behind him. He does not turn around to see who has joined him, but keeps his eyes closed at the sun. The person walks towards him and sits down next to him.

“You ran off on me,” Ginny says.

“Mm,” Harry hums. “I needed some air.”

“Yeah.”

They sit in comfortable silence for a while before Ginny breaks it again.

“I talked to him.”

Harry turns to look at her for a moment before looking down at the tumbler in his hands.

“He came back to study to be a potions master,” Ginny continues. “Apparently it’s been his dream job since he was a child and he was a cursebreaker so he could travel in his youth before focusing on his degree.”

“I know.” Harry mutters. “About the dream job thing. He used to tell me stories about his failed potions from when he was a kid. I never knew he did curse breaking for the travelling though. I thought it was ’cause he was good at it and he enjoyed it.”

“That was also why I did it.”

Harry turns around to see Draco standing on the terrasse behind them, tumbler in hand. Harry takes him in properly for the first time this evening. He looks so good. Draco is wearing black dress pants and a light blue shirt with a few buttons open and he sleeves are rolled up making him look fancy but casual.

Ginny leans towards Harry. “Do you want me to stay if you’re not ready or?” she says quietly.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Okay,” Ginny says and kisses him on the cheek. “I’ll be inside if you need me.” She gives him one last smile before slipping back inside and closing the door behind her. Harry turns back to the sun as Draco approaches him. 

“Can I sit?”

Harry shrugs and takes a sip of his drink.

“You cut your hair,” Draco says.

A few months into their relationship, Draco had convinced Harry to grow his hair out so he could put it up in a bun.  _ “Darling, you would look so hot with long hair. Please grow it out.” _ Draco had begged him and eventually he agreed. Harry had been able to put all his hair in a bun by their first anniversary and he had kept it long their whole relationship. Even when they broke up he kept it because he thought he looks good with long hair, still does. But when Draco left the country without a word, it hurt. Harry needed a change and since his long hair was directly connected to who had left him, he cut it all off and is now sporting a very messy quiff.

Harry looks him in the eyes. “You left.”

Draco looks down. “Is that why you did it?”

“Yeah.”

It is quiet for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Draco says.

“What for?”

“A lot of things, I guess.” Draco says. “I’m sorry for the way our relationship ended. No I know we both had a hand in it,” Draco quickly adds when Harry opens his mouth to protest. “But I want to apologise for my part. I’m sorry for not telling you I was going away.”

”Why didn’t you?”

“I wanted to,” Draco says and puts a hand on Harry’s wrist and Harry draws a quick breath at the feeling of Draco touching him again. “I did, but I didn’t know what to say to you back then so I’ll tell you now. I left ’cause I needed new ground to stand on after our break up. I moved to an apartment in Paris and travelled from there. Pansy and Blaise visited as much as they could. Merlin I was such a wreck after we broke up.”

Harry sighs. “Yeah. Me too.”

Draco squeezes Harry’s wrist gently. “I’m mostly sorry for hurting you though.”

Harry lets go of his glass with one hand and moves it so Draco’s hand slide from his wrist to his palm where Harry slips his fingers through Draco’s and squeezes. Harry has not held Draco’s hand for almost a year and it feels so good.

“Thank you.” Harry gives Draco a smile for the first time this evening. “I’m sorry too. For the way things turned out.”

Harry had been busy with working cases as an auror and sometimes he had to go away for a few days up to a week. He couldn’t contact Draco during those times and it got hard sometimes. Especially since Draco had to go away too. Sometimes for even longer than  a week. Their jobs prevented them from spending enough time together which broke their hearts and eventually they decided to call it quits. It was a mutual decision.

“We had no choice, Harry,” Draco says.

“I know, but still.” Harry sighs and looks down at his feet. “I’ve really missed you,” he says quietly.

“I’ve missed you too,” Draco says. 

The sound of glass against wood can be heard as Draco puts his tumbler down before he scoots closer to Harry. Harry heart tugs as the warmth from Draco’s body fills him. Draco reaches out, putting his free hand on Harry’s cheek and pulling his head to face him. Harry watches as Draco scans his face. Draco opens his mouth as if to speak but closes it again. Harry blindly puts his own tumbler down behind him on the terrasse without taking his eyes off Draco. He puts his now free hand on top of Draco’s hand on his cheek as if to encourage him to speak. It works.

“I need you.” Draco breathes.

Harry watches the completely open expression on Draco’s face as it conveys all his hopes and doubts. Harry cannot let him down. He won’t. Of course not. Even though it hurt when Draco left, Harry still wanted him back every day he was gone. Of course Harry would never let Draco down. Harry does not think he ever could when Draco looks at him like that.

With that thought, Harry surges forward and captures Draco’s lips in a long awaited kiss. Draco grunts at the force and slides his hand to the back of Harry’s neck. Harry places his hand on Draco’s face and they let go of each other’s hand. Draco’s joins his other and Harry’s wraps around Draco’s waist to pull them even closer together. 

It feels so good to kiss and be held by Draco again. So right. It feels like coming home.

When they break the kiss Harry leans his forehead on Draco’s. ”I need you too,” Harry says.

”I want to give us one more chance,” Draco says as he gently scratches his fingers through Harry’s hair.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Just don’t leave me again.”

“I won't. I never want to leave your side ever again so you’re stuck with me.”

“Good,” Harry pulls back and smiles at Draco. He leans forward to peck him quickly on the lips before he rises. Harry holds his hand out, “Come on. Let’s go back inside, I’m sure they’ve missed us. Or at least made a bet on if we make up or start a fight.”

Draco lets out a laugh as he takes Harry’s hand. “Knowing our friends; they made a bet.”

Harry pulls Draco up and they pick up their tumblers before walking to the door. Harry pauses with his hand on the doorknob and turns to Draco. “Do you want to pretend like nothing when we get inside or?”

Draco shakes his head and leans in to kiss him. “I did not come back for you to pretend I didn’t just get you back.”

“You came back because of me?”

“Yes. I also happened to want to pursue a career in the same country but yes. I came back for you. I’ll always come back for you.”

Harry kisses him and when he pulls back, his face is stretched in a wide grin. “You make me happy, Draco.”

“You make me happy too, Harry,” Draco smiles back. “Now let’s go see who bet what.”

Harry pulls the door open and grasps Draco’s hand with a smile. “Sure.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, it took me ages to finish this and I am really proud of it so i hope you liked it. I have made a few notes on how they got together etc so if you would like a prequel to this, let me know :)


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